FA Cup – preliminary round, August 22nd
Our final place in last season’s league table gets us a bye into the preliminary round of the FA Cup. We will meet the winners of August 8th’s extra-preliminary round game between Leverstock Green and Walthamstow. Coincidentally we were drawn to meet either Leverstock or Ilford at the same stage of last season’s FA Cup though it turned out to be Ilford. Both the Green and Walthamstow have good recent memories of Wodson Park. Leverstock won here 2-0 in our final home game of last season whilst Walthmstow were the victors on their last visit back in 2023. They came from behind to clinch three points with three goals at the end the the game. If you have the stomach the match report is here.
Both clubs had mid-table finishes last season, Walthamstow finishing tenth in the Isthmian League North division and Leverstock twelfth in our division.
The match is to be played at Wodson Park on Saturday, August 22nd with a 3pm kick off. In the event of a draw there will be a replay. The winners of this tie will receive £1,444 from the prize fund, the losers £481.
The FA Trophy – first round qualifying, August 29th
The Trophy has been a continuing cause of problems for us right up to last season’s home defeat when we lost our keeper after just five minutes. At least our opponents from Brightlingsea Regent have fared little better. Both clubs are still waiting to progress beyond the third qualifying round and into the competition proper. We have home advantage and the knowledge that we were winners on the occasion of Regent’s only previous visit to Ware. A 2-1 league win with goals from Keiran Bishop and Murat Karagul. Bill Spinks’ report of that game can be read here.
Brightlingsea finished fourteenth, just a little behind Walthamstow in last season’s Isthmian North.
The match is to be played at Wodson Park on Saturday, August 29th with a 3pm kick off. In the event of a draw at ninety minutes the tie will be determined by a penalty shoot out. The winners of this tie will receive £1,500 from the prize fund, the losers £400.
The FA Youth Cup – preliminary round, week commencing August 31st
In the past we have progressed as far as the second round proper of this competition but we must, as always start from the very beginning. This will involve a visit to the under-18s of Haringey Borough and the chance to enter the draw for the first round qualifying. We have met before at this age group but way back in the 2002/3 season. We were victorious in two Southern Counties Youth Floolit League games by an aggregate 14-1. I suspect it will be a lot closer this time round.
The match is to be played at at Borough’s White Hart Lane ground in the week commencing August 31st. It will be an evening kick off and in the event of a draw at ninety minutes the tie will be determined by a penalty shoot out.
